Device foe tightening wiee



J. B. VAIL. DEVICE FOR TIGHTENING WIRE.

(No Model.)

No. 606,178. Patented June 21, 1898.

WITNESSES 42% IJNrran STATES PAT NT @trrca JAMES B. VAIL, OF WESTON,MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO IVELLINGTON 0. SMITH, OF SAME PLACE.

DEVICE FOR TIGHTENING WIRE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 606,178, dated June21, 1898. Application filed November 18, 1897. Serial No. 658,904. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES B. VAIL, a citizen of the United States,residing at \Veston, in the county of Lenawee, State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for TighteningTire; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a device for tightening the longitudinal orlateral wires of a wire fence and at the same time render said wireslongitudinally elastic, so as to provide for expansion and contraction.

In the construction of wire fences it is desirable that provision bemade for permitting the lateral wires to expand and contractlongitudinally and at the same time maintain a proper tension thereon.One manner of accomplishing this result is by forming in any or all ofsaid lateral wires, at any desired point therein, a spiral twist orcrimp, which exerts a spring-tension upon the lateral wire, maintainingthe proper stress upon said wires, yet rendering them longitudinallyelastic. This form of tension, after being in use for some time, maybecome exhausted through the straightening of said spiral twist orcrimp, necessitating a replacing of said crimp in order that the wiremay carry the proper tension and possess the requisite elasticity. Theplacing and replacing of this crimp, so as to properly tighten the wire,is accomplished through the medium of my improved device, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective Viewshowing a section of a wire fence and the application of my improveddevice for tightening the lateral wires thereof. Fig. 2 is an enlargedperspective view of the tightening device.

Referring to the letters of reference, A designates a shaft which may bea hollow tube of any desirable length. Journaled on the opposite ends ofsaid shaft are the levers B,

having hubs a, through which said shaft passes. One side of each of saidhubs is eccentric, as at b, in which is formed an engaging hook c and aconfining-shoulder cl, running longitudinally of said hubs, forming acontinuation of said hook.

In their normal position the lovers B stand in opposite directions,thereby causing the engaging hooks and shoulders upon the hubs of saidlevers to stand opposite, as shown in Fig. 2, although lying in the samehorizontal plane. The hooks c on the hubs of said levers are designed toengage the lateral wires O of the fence, and the shoulders 61, leadingfrom said hooks, are adapted to support said wires and prevent the hooksfrom making a short bend therein.

In the operation of this improved device the levers of the tightener areplaced in the position shown in Fig. 2, with the hooks 0 uppermost or insuch other position as will enable the device to be placed upon thelateral wire O of the fence, as shown at the top of Fig. 1, with thehook c engaging said wires. When in this position, both levers B areswung in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows, therebyreversing the position of said levers, as shown by solid lines at thebot tom of Fig. 1, and forming in the lateral wire 0, between the pointsof engagement of the hooks of said levers, a spiral crimp or twist 6,whereby the slack of the wire is taken up and an elastic tension appliedthereto.

It will be observed that by means of this device all of the slack in thelateral wires may be taken up and any desired tension placed upon saidwires, rendering said lateral wires taut, but at the same time impartinglongitudinal elasticity thereto.

In the operation of this improved tightener to place the spiral twist inthe lateral wires, if desired, but one lever may be turned, one leverbeing held stationary, while the twisting of the wire is accomplished bythe turning of the opposite lever.

Mounted upon the shaft A between the hubs of the levers B is a coiledspring D, which prevents the levers B from sliding toward each otherupon said shaft and maintains them yieldingly in place.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, What I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device for crimping and tightening wire,'the combination of thesupporting-shaft, a shoulder at one end of said shaft adapted to engagea lateral wire, apivoted lever at the opposite end of said shaft havinga reversed shoulder also adapted to engage said Wire whereby a spiraltwist may be placed in said wire by a rotation of said lever.

2. In a wire-tightening device, the combination of a supporting-shaft,opposed engaging shoulders on the opposite ends of said shaft adapted toreceive a lateral Wire, and

means for rotating one of said shoulders "to crimp the lateral Wirespirally around said shaft.

3. In a wire-tightening device, the combination of a supporting-shaft,the opposed levers pivoted on opposite ends of said shaft, the opposedengaging hooks carried by said levers adapted to engage a lateral wirewhereby said wire may be Wound spirally around said shaft by a reversemovement of said levers.

4. In a wire-tightening device, the c0n1bination of a supporting-shaft,the opposed levers pivoted on the opposite ends of said shaft, theengaging hooks upon the hubs of said levers standing in oppositedirections, and the coiled spring surrounding said shaft between thehubs of said levers.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES B. VAIL.

Witnesses:

II. OJRETAN, R. A. DICKENS.

